Dear Comprehensive Plan Committee and City Council Members,

Thank you for calling upon all South Portland residents to join in updating South Portland’s Comprehensive Plan for the next 15 years. 

We, the signees of this petition, recognize climate change is accelerating and it will impact every facet of life in South Portland. Due to this, it is paramount that all comprehensive planning and land use decisions be made through the lens of climate change, specifically the inevitably of sea level rise and storm surges.

In doing so, this high-stakes comprehensive plan update will center the long term health, safety and well being of all our residents and the ecosystem in which we live.

Our city’s extensive coastline is home to critical infrastructure. This includes 6 petroleum terminals, which supply half the state of Maine and are located on contaminated fill and polluted groundwater. Climate-driven failures at these aging tanks threaten our community, Casco Bay and statewide petroleum distribution. Because of these petroleum hazards, we request the City commit to manage for the high to extreme sea level rise scenarios of 2.95 to 3.38 feet by 2050 and 8.72 to 10.79 feet by 2100.*

Due to our unique coastal challenges, we envision our city in 2040 to be a model for climate change resilience utilizing the One Climate Future plan and the One Climate Future Vulnerability Assessment: https://www.oneclimatefuture.org and https://www.oneclimatefuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/OneClimateFuture_VulnerabilityAssessment_Final.pdf

Specifics of our 2040 vision:

• A detailed sea level rise plan for critical infrastructure, including neighborhoods will have been implemented.
• All tank farms will be prepared to manage for the highest predictions of sea level rise and extreme weather.
• Tank farms will mitigate all hazardous air pollutants and dangerous volatile organic compound emissions.
• Neighborhoods and coastal waters will be protected from tank-caused groundwater contamination, leaks, spills, fires and explosions. The cost of these disasters and ecological restoration shall be fully paid by the petroleum industry.
• All new buildings, developed sites, natural areas, local agriculture and open spaces will help mitigate the collective impacts of sea level rise, storm surges, extreme weather, and higher temperatures.
• The city will use continuously updated climate data and projections in making climate-resilient public investment decisions and provide the highest level of current and future protection for people, infrastructure, and the ecosystem.
• Local climate solutions will be developed through community-enhancing engagement, transparent democracy, and include all residents as stakeholders.

Thank you for building community with us. 

Initiated by Protect South Portland  

P.O. Box 2154 South Portland, Maine 04106

protectsouthportland@gmail.com